Nurses at Aspirus Iron River Hospital in Iron River have approved a new contract that extends through December 2028.

IRON RIVER – Nurses at Aspirus Iron River Hospital voted Wednesday to ratify a new union contract, according to the Michigan Nurses Association and Aspirus.

“This contract moves us forward in terms of being able to recruit nurses and keep them at our hospital, which is important for being able to give our community the best care possible,” Nicole Fedie-Zaupa, an Aspirus Iron River nurse who is co-president of the local MNA union, said in a news release. “We want to thank our community for all their support; that has meant the world to us and caring for our community has been our reason for advocating so hard for changes. Passing this contract does not by any means end our work to hold Aspirus accountable for providing the health care that our community deserves.”

The contract takes effect immediately and runs through Dec. 31, 2028.

The new contract maintains the wage structure that rewards nurses’ experience and it also guarantees annual across-the-board raises, according to the news release. The agreement includes increased pay for on-call, weekend and night shifts, and reinstatement of extra pay for nurses when they are forced to work beyond a scheduled shift.